Tomatoes can be fickle, sometimes emanating pure summer in a mouthful, while at other times promises of juiciness and the pristine balance of acid and sweet turn out to be mealy and bland. A surefire way to elevate your tomato game is a slow and leisurely roast. Slow roasted tomatoes have endless possibilities- tossed with brown rice pasta, pureed into tomato sauce, submerged in a grain bowl, or blended for a simple and flavorful soup. Here is my super simple slow roasted tomato soup.

Slow Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Serves 2

2 pounds tomatoes sliced in half

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary

3 cloves garlic skin on

Pinch of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 250. On a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper, toss tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Spread out evenly and roast for 2-3 hours until caramelized and shriveled. Remove garlic from skin and toss in a high-speed blender with the tomatoes. Blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with basil or chives. For a less thick version, thin out with some reduced sodium vegetable stock and topped with some Greek or Icelandic yogurt.